Parental investment does not directly affect reproductive success in the Saffron Finch

In tropical species, the study of parental care and the description of the intraspecific variation of parental care remain relatively understudied, especially when compared to the vast works dedicated to species from the northern hemisphere. In Colombia, the Saffron Finch (Sicalis flaveola), is a species with a wide geographical distribution, and despite its abundance in open habitats and urban environments, little is known about its reproductive ecology. As a small‐bodied, short‐lived passerine, we postulated that the Saffron Finch should behave according to the “reproductive value hypothesis,’’ investing in the current brood at the expense of future survival. Consequently, we predicted: (1) that parental investment would be associated with brood size and (2) parental investment would be positively associated with nestling growth rate and reproductive success (defined as the number of nestlings which reached fledging age). In 2018, two reproductive peaks of S. flaveola flaveola were do...